White flags (9th to 17th cent.)

The use of the flag in Morocco as a symbol of the state dates way back to
the Almoravide dynasty (1062-1125 AD).
Prior to this time, white silk banners were often carried in battle,
sometimes with Koranic inscriptions written on them.
The Almoravides institutionalized this practice. They gave one banner to
every unit of 100 soldiers; the leaders always carried one inscribed: «There
is no god but god, and Mohammad is His Prophet».
The two following dynasties (the Merinides and the Saadiens) continued the
use of the White flag as the symbol of the State.

Red flags (17th cent. to present)

The Alaouites (beginning
in the 17th Century), which are the ruling dynasties and the ancestors of
His Majesty King Hassan II, were the first to introduce the red flag. It was
raised every morning and lowered every evening on the fortresses at Rabat
and Sale.
The green Sulayman star on the flag was introduced in 1912, when Morocco
was put under the French protectorate, in order
to distinguish the nation's flag from the others.

On this chart [bel56],
the flag is labelled "Morocco" and
consists of a red field with a border made of red and
white triangles and with white open scissors centered.
Thus, the Moroccoan flag should then be a red flag with
the zul-faqar centered and a red/white border of
triangles, all these elements white.Jorge Candeias, 21 Aug 1999

The dhu-ul-fiqr or thul fuqar or zul-faqar or
zulfikar (or any of a number of transliterations from the Arabic) has been
used as a symbol of Morocco because the ruling Alaouite dynasty claims
legitimacy by virtue of descent from the Prophet's son-in-law, Ali.
Dhu-ul-fiqr was Ali's sword, the blade of which was split in half.Joseph McMillan, 21 Aug 1999